Zhang Yiming: The billionaire tech visionary behind TikTok

Beijing: Armed with pioneering AI and a sharp nose for youth trends, Zhang Yiming revolutionised internet video with popular app TikTok and minted himself a fortune.

But at just 38 he has also found that having a seat at the top table of China’s rambunctious tech scene carries a heavy political and managerial price.

Zhang’s startup Bytedance owns video app TikTok, whose kaleidoscopic feeds of 15 to 60-second clips feature everything from hair-dye tutorials to dance routines and jokes about daily life.